蜜芽传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Canon Ann Easter

Good morning.

I find it hard to believe that it鈥檚 three years since our dear Queen Elizabeth died. I am now quite used to praying for Charles our King in church services but, at the same time, I had to check that it was actually three years and not two or even one, since we came home from holiday on September the eighth to a changed world.

It hit me personally because I鈥檇 had the amazing experience of being a Chaplain to Her Majesty and had met the Queen on a number of occasions, astonished, always, that she knew who I was.

When I received the letter inviting me to be one of thirty-six honorary chaplains, I honestly thought that some friends were having a laugh, knowing how much I love the Royals, so I phoned Buckingham Palace to make sure. Yes, said a kind lady, you鈥檒l get a badge and a bright red cassock and you鈥檒l preach in a Royal chapel once a year. And I did that and I attended garden parties and other jollies for eleven years, 鈥榯il it was someone else鈥檚 turn to have that weird and wonderful privilege.

But maybe the loveliest outcome of this experience is that my name鈥檚 in Who鈥檚 Who, the directory of people of note, and it says Easter, Ann Rosemarie, born Upton Park, daughter of Harry Easter and Audrey, nee Boater. And that鈥檚 extraordinary! My dear parents would never, ever have imagined themselves in Who鈥檚 Who. But the Queen had that effect on people, making them feel valued.

Lord God, help us today to make those around us feel special.

Amen.